


Looking through mirrors for the space between doors

by Tobi_Black



Series: illusions cast upon the Space-Between-Doors [4]
Category: Naruto
Genre: All Uchiha/Deadly Pretty People, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Alternate Universe - Tobirama survives, F/F, F/M, Kagami thirsting hard for deadly pretty people, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Sarutobi Hiruzen/Shimura Danzou UST, Tobirama/Water, implied Senju Hashirama/Uchiha Madara on the part of the Uchiha
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-29 05:41:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17802071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tobi_Black/pseuds/Tobi_Black
Summary: Kagami had liked Tobirama, maybe even loved him if he was honest, for years now. Then Tobirama had nearly died.He’d never intended to act on his feelings, but with Tobirama's surprise survival of their last mission, this was his second chance to maybe have something with the older man.





	1. Tobirama: putting them on equal footing

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Bind me tight](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14364861) by [PandaFlower](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PandaFlower/pseuds/PandaFlower). 



> 5+1 Attempts of Kagami and Tobirama to get together

Kagami was all nerves as he babbled about the building they’d taken over, trying not to go bright red because his thoughts were cycling around how _they would be living together if Tobirama allowed it_ , and knowing he was failing by Koharu’s smirk.

He was getting it under control until Tobirama had plucked distastefully at the front of his shirt, and flashed pale collarbones covered in a similar red ink as what was on his jaw.

His blush was revived with a _vengeance_ a moment later.

“A trip to the onsen before we go . . home . . would be nice. I would rather not take the smell of the hospital with me longer than necessary.”

Tobirama had been fastidious about his bathing habits for as long as he’d known him, in the water as often as he could when he wasn’t needed elsewhere. It had actually been a tactic of theirs when they thought he was working too hard to lure him away from his paperwork or his science binges by the promise of a trip to the onsen.

It had been _hell_ to keep his gaze where it was appropriate when pale skin and red markings were on display through the steam any and all times previous.

He’d distracted himself thoroughly each time by glaring any wayward eyes into submission, but he didn’t think that would work this time. Not only was it a miracle that Tobirama was still alive and curious people would be not be so easily subdued, but Kagami knew he was just a hair-trigger away from accidentally activating his new Mangekyou Sharingan.

It was the fact that Tobirama looked tired, just _barely_ perking up at the idea of a _bath,_ that strengthened his resolve to _endure_.

“That sounds good, Tobirama-sama.”

“You don’t need to be so formal anymore, Kagami. I am no longer the Hokage, nor am I the head of the Senju any longer.”

“I respect you no less, . . Tobirama-san.”

Kagami was _floored_ by the small smirk he was graced with.

“Good enough for now, Kagami.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #Partial Success


	2. Trust

Kagami almost wished that the Uchiha subscribed to the tenets of Buddhism as he got as far as their shared home before laying on the cool wooden floor in Koharu’s room and bemoaned his luck.

If he had been a Buddhist, he was sure that his suffering at the onsen just now would have been enough to earn him Nirvana. It had been a special sort of hell to not only _not_ stare at all the skin he could see on Tobirama, or even stare for more than a few seconds if he didn’t want to be questioned by the subject of said stare, but make sure no one else stared when the man didn’t appear to have a single care about showing so much skin in favor of so much water at hand.

It had been hard, not just because news had spread of Tobirama’s survival and everyone wanted to see that he _was_ alive, but because he was a very beautiful, very handsome man.

If more than one late-night dream had featured how he was sure that his head could be crushed between those muscled thighs, at how one bicep was as thick as his head, that was his secret.

Not that it was any secret that the Uchiha had a _Thing_ for deadly pretty people who could kill them in a heartbeat. Most clans had some variation of it, but the Uchiha really did have a very obvious preference for those that could kill them in the most gruesome, horrifying ways.

Most of the clan was sure that Madara had _liked_ Hashirama after an incident when someone had tried to attack Tobirama from the back when he had been engaged in a fight with Izuna, and the Shodaime had forced a tree to grow out of the man’s chest. Mostly because _all_ of the Uchiha had developed a bit of a crush on the man because of it.

If during the very next fight, Tobirama hadn’t defeated and ultimately killed Izuna, Kagami was sure that the fighting between their clans would have ended – and with a marriage between Hashirama and Madara. But then Madara had been driven mad with grief, so the fighting had continued for another year.

Kagami wasn’t entirely ashamed to admit that his family had been among the first to desert Madara because without Izuna, Madara had been _insane_ , nearly willing to sacrifice the whole clan in his need for revenge but no one strong enough capable of putting him out of his misery still alive. That was a clan matter though, so he joked around and said that they had because _hello_ , deadly pretty people, and he’d been _gone_. Even with Madara gone and dead, the clan kept up the open secret because Madara had been _Terrifying_ – and not the good kind – for most of the end of his life, after Izuna was dead, and the fact that any one of them could be that if they lost everything that they loved was not something anyone outside of the clan needed to know.

He groaned into the floor when his thoughts snapped right back to Tobirama, because he hadn’t been able to help how his sharingan had activated without his intent with how Tobirama had flexed and bent in the steam, making muscle ripple beneath pale skin only occasionally marred by scars. The man had looked like the cat who had gotten the cream and the canary as he’d relaxed there in the water, before he’d leisurely stretched.

And ruffled Kagami’s hair, sending the already steam-fluffed curls into further disarray.

Koharu had started cackling then, because if he hadn’t already been turning a steady red from the heat, he was beet red then. Luckily, that seemed to distract Tobirama long enough that Kagami had been able to try and drown himself before he’d popped one at the revelation that Tobirama’s hand was big enough crush his head with a little effort.

Which didn’t help the fact that the revelation had still happened, and he’d spent the rest of the time at the onsen alternating between staring at Tobirama’s prominent muscles, the wide expanse of pale unmarked skin on the older man’s back, and glaring death at anyone trying to do the same with eyes more red than black.

Thankfully, Homura had taken pity on him and distracted Tobirama on the way back to the house by explaining that Mito had brought his things from his house to their new joint house, and followed that up by leading the older man in a tour in their home.

Koharu, on the other hand, had a shit-eating grin on as she slipped into her room and found him laying on the floor.

“Hiding from your crush, still? If you would just confess, you would put yourself – and us – out of your misery. Either he will accept the _kokuhaku_ or you’ll be rejected, and we can move on.”

He rolled to look at her, narrow-eyed.

“Like you have? That pretty Yamanaka woman who talks circles around everyone but you in regards to political games?”

Koharu’s grin faded a modicum, before sharpening.

“I will if you will.”

He stood up, dusting his clothes off with hardly an acknowledgement of the gauntlet she’d thrown.

“He’s never shown any sort of preference.”

“He has been too focused on running a village to show any interest, and he’s a consummate shinobi, he probably hid any interest he did have. Not to mention, he outranked nearly anyone in the village by virtue of being the Hokage, he would never put anyone in the position of thinking they had to accept his advances because of his rank.”

Kagami didn’t have anything to say to that. It would be just like Tobirama to keep any feelings to himself – it was only because they’d been working closely together, and the fact that Hiruzen, Koharu, and Homura were already familiar with him left an opening, that he expressed _any_ favor to them instead of treating them like any other villager: cordially if abrupt and at arm’s length.

It was particularly obvious with the Hokage title being passed off, in how much more open he was with them.

They’d all _known_ he was fond of them, otherwise there was no way they would have been able to get away with as much as they had with him. Leaving him food to eat without question, pulling him away from all-nighters, being inside his labs – both the one the village had known had about and the private one on old Senju land – and trips to an onsen after missions. They were all things that no shinobi who didn’t trust them would have allowed, and they’d seen them.

It still felt _nice_ to have him not keep an arm’s reach constantly because he didn’t want to overstep bounds. Particularly because it meant they no longer had to step so gingerly around his unspoken rules about their concern – because Tobirama hid his problems.

Like the fact that while the hot water had done Tobirama lots of good, he also would have said absolutely nothing about how he’d accidentally made one barely-healed wound bleed again if it hadn’t colored the water. Luckily, they’d all absorbed his periodic tangents about medical ninjutsu and proper field care well enough that it was old hat for Hiruzen to take care of the wound.

Kagami had just about passed Koharu without another mention of his _crush_ , when she caught his arm.

“Make him tea. He could probably do with some willow.”

Her tone was almost casual as she continued, but the unholy amusement in her eyes bellied it.

“It’s not like he prefers when it is you that makes it or anything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #Work in Progress


	3. Attraction

Kagami woke up the next morning to find his room had a new resident.

Well, two more accurately.

One was a flower he could faintly smell but couldn’t get a good glimpse of considering that on his futon was _Tobirama_ , the _other_ new resident.

If his vague recollection served, the older man had tried to wake him extra-early for a training spar but he’d just rolled over with a grumble and tugged him down with him down onto the futon. Kagami had been _exhausted_ because Mito had insisted that he lay down a high-level genjutsu on the Hokage’s office to safe-guard the classified documents Tobirama had been working on prior to his last mission until he could reveal what they were. Even if they had been in a code she didn’t know and doubted anyone else did, he’d done as she’d asked because Mito had a point, then he’d done the same for the rest of the classified documents she’d spent the last couple weeks identifying and replacing with fakes in case the wrong person was elected.

Kagami wasn’t quite sure _Hiruzen_ was the best choice, but he was the better choice because he was breaking the possible precedent Hashirama had set even if he was creating another by creating a line of succession through teams. He thought Hiruzen would do good as the Sandaime, if he worked in conjuction with Koharu and Danzō, who both played well to balance him out and round out his skillset.

If not Hiruzen, there was a Nara that Kagami thought would do well as the Hokage, particularly when paired with the Yamanaka Koharu _liked_.

Either way though, they would get to see if the system Tobirama had created for Hokage candidates worked when the jounin voted sometime this week regarding Hiruzen’s nomination and whether it was accepted.

He found himself ignoring that in the face of the fact Tobirama was in _his_ bed, asleep.

He took this moment just to look, appreciating how, apparently, Tobirama had _not_ stabbed him on reflex, _not_ pulled himself out of his grip when Kagami was sure he could have, _not_ freed himself shortly after from where he’d pressed himself into the albino’s side, and had instead just _laid_ there. At some point he’d even fallen asleep himself.

 _And then cuddled against him like a cat to a hot water bottle_.

Kagami didn’t dare move lest he wake the other man, because this was both a whole new level of hell because despite _hell-o, Mr. Attractive, I’d love to both cuddle more and see how far your sex-blush would go_ , but if he woke him, either he’d get stabbed (again) for startling a barely awake Tobirama, Tobirama would act like this was nothing and Kagami _really_ wanted this to mean _something_ , and/or the older man would get that pinched look around his eyes that said he was very displeased/unhappy and Kagami would shortly be finding out what exactly he’d done wrong.

Only, the man blurrily blinked, fully awake but in no rush to move.

Kagami had to think _many_ unsexy thoughts about Hiruzen and Danzō finally acting on their love-hate attraction when Tobirama spoke in a sleep-slurred, husky voice that _did_ things to him.

“Kagami.”

Particularly when he said _his name_ like that.

He could feel how his cheeks were reddening, which only got worse when his voice came out a bit higher than he intended.

“Yes?”

“Turn off the sun. It’s too bright.”

Kagami did his best not to flail nor sputter as the older man continued to lay there, covering his eyes with one fore-arm, presumably to block out the mid-morning sunlight that was coming through his window, and moved his other hand through an unfamiliar series of seals.

He just lay there – only a small part of his brain processing that those seals suggested something about increasing chakra concentration and boosting eyesight – before Tobirama stretched, and his brain screeched to a thunderous halt with flashes of skin, a lot of skin, on display when he got up and showed that he’d in loose pants that barely stayed up on his hips, and a fishnet top.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #Unequivocal Success


	4. Tobirama: expressing interest

Kagami was half-asleep as he ate the breakfast Torifu had handed him, mind going through circles.

For the last week, he had been waking up to a new plant in his room, and he was . . confused.

The timing and the manner of message made the perpetrator obvious enough that Kagami _knew_ the plants were from Tobirama. It was like the man wasn’t even _trying_ to be subtle.

He was old enough to remember the warfare between the Uchiha and the Senju, and just like the Senju had learned more than a few things about the Uchiha, the Uchiha had learned a fair few things themselves. One thing being how the Senju clan had a lot of habits tracing back to nature.

He remembered how they had always gone quiet in the winter, and more messages than not had been expressed in plants when written ones couldn’t be passed or couldn’t be trusted. The former had been important because the Uchiha had based much of their acceptance of jobs around the likelihood of possible interception by Senju. The latter had resulted in each Uchiha getting a crash-course in plant meanings so they knew which ones were request of aid, were telling of threats.

Kagami had taken that a step further after he’d met Tobirama, watching how when Tobirama couldn’t find the words he needed, he’d drop a plant off with his brother, his cousin. Realizing that every plant Hashirama gave his brother had many purposes, past the possible use for Tobirama’s science or Hashirama’s sentimentality. Seeing how Tōka and Mito would both give and receive plants to Tobirama.

It had been a bit heartbreaking to realize that Hashirama’s last plant to Tobirama had meant _I’ll always watch (over) you_ to the Senju.

(It had been _mortifying_ knowing exactly what Mito and Tōka were saying to each other over the last couple of months – he _never_ needed to know that Mito had _very_ passionate feelings about Tōka in red.)

So, it was easy to decipher what these plants were saying.

_Respect._

_Admiration._

_Safe person._

_Trust._

_Deadly._

_Earnest._

_Inspiring._

What he was confused about, was _why_. Why _him_ and why _these things._

Kagami felt like these were compliments, because if he saw _any other_ Senju leave these plants, to _anyone else_ , that was what he would think. Any time he thought too long on this puzzle – and that was what he’d spend half the night doing, unable to sleep with the idea in his head, unable to believe the message could be from Tobirama – he wanted to take them as that.

Only, surely Tobirama, consummate shinobi that he was, would be more subtle.

Which meant this had to be a trick, perhaps a prank by Koharu trying to urge him to confess already with the confidence she said he lacked when it came to this.

Only, he’d already cornered her and she’d denied it – and he believed her.

It had left him with many a sleepless night, only for when he finally dozed off for an hour or so, there was another plant left for him in the morning.

The thing was, if he didn’t like it, there was a really simple way to get the Senju to stop: give the plants away or just plain get rid of them. Only, if this was Tobirama, those plants would shortly become the most well-cared for plants in the village.

Right now, he gave them minimal care, while he debated how paranoid it was to booby-trap his room to hell and back just to see if the plant-giver _was_ Tobirama. The fact was though, no one outside the team, Mito, and Tōka had access to the house without Danzō’s over-zealous traps or Mito’s protective seals going off, not to mention Tobirama would not let anyone but the most trusted people to him anywhere _near_ his sprog – as he’d not only taken to spending a few hours a day talking to the bundle of cells, but he had a stupidly large sensory range and could be back in the house within seconds of any possible intruder.

It was really obvious the only one who could be giving him the plants was Tobirama, but Kagami was somewhere between unable to believe it and denial and _oh-my-Sage-does-this-mean-what-I-think-it-does!?_

Before he could freak the _fuck out_ – and if he did, ruining Torifu’s hard work at breakfast, Torifu would _fatten_ him in the signature Akimichi move with _a vengeance_ – a pair of wooden chopsticks were placed in front of him.

In the time it took him to blink and process the oak wood carved with a stunning lightning motif, Tobirama had calmly left the room to return to his sprog.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #Limited, Conditional Success


	5. Communication

The jounin vote had come through for Hiruzen, and through there was still the _official_ appointment to the entire village to come, he was the Sandaime for all intent and purposes.

Hiruzen, in a rare moment of absolute brilliance, had then turned around and asked Danzō if he would help him find a balance between their skills to ensure the village was kept safe and at peace.

Tobirama had leaned over slightly to tell him that Hiruzen had come to him, asking if there was anything that he should do right away as Hokage. And that he’d told him that he should bring his friend and rival within his sphere of closest confidants, and give them enough responsibility that they would have no want to be jealous of his new position but also display immense trust in them to the rest of the village.

His voice had been extra-quiet, barely audible, when he had continued and said that Madara, before he had been driven mad with grief, should have filled this position for his brother – and that if not Madara, then another Uchiha to show unity between the Uchiha and the Senju, but that his brother would have never accepted anyone other than his once-best friend.

Danzō had gracefully accepted, if a little red around the ears.

Koharu and Homura had stepped up and said that just because their genin team was no more, didn’t mean the bonds were gone, and then symbolically stepped into place at his left and right, to show their willingness to act as his left and right hands.

The jounin commander, a Hatake, had laughed, seemingly delighted in that sleeping predator way every Hatake Kagami had ever met embodied.

Then the formal atmosphere had disappeared, to be replaced by everyone who didn’t need to return to duty after concluding the vote, settled in for the joy of no longer being leaderless with Tobirama’s formally presumed death and then refusal to take back the position, as well as the last night Mito would be in permanent residence, as she was leaving in the morning to go back to Uzu.

Tobirama drifted to talk with his sister-in-law as Kagami went to find a corner of the room to drink the sake being passed around, pleasantly buzzed after a few cups before he realized it. Mostly before he saw that the rice-wine was an Uzumaki blend, and thus twice as potent as other Fire Country equivalent.

Things got a little spotty in his memory after he was pulled in by Torifu to celebrate Hiruzen’s success, and that with a shark grin, Koharu had went and found her Yamanaka – Akiko – before confessing to the cheers of all those around them when the two immediately kissed.

He vaguely remembered how Biwako collected the man of honor himself, with Danzō being dragged along thanks to Hiruzen’s grip on his shirt and with a deep blush across his cheeks.

He vaguely remembered Homura in deep conversation with an older Nara.

He vaguely remembered Torifu cheerfully talking to a stoic Hyuuga – and that he somehow got the Hyuuga to give a small smile.

Then Tobirama was there, murmuring something about how Tōka was making a b-line to Mito and they would want to be gone before the two started gushing about how beautiful the other was with hands in not-so-appropriate places.

Kagami remembered there being a beautiful flush to the older man’s cheeks.

He may or may not have said something about him being the prettiest person in the room, before the blush got darker.

He thinks Tobirama said something that was a compliment back, because he remembered grinning like a loon.

Kagami did not remember much after that, but he woke up tucked into bed, a glass of water by his head, and a note in Tobirama’s scrawl that said:

_Drunk you had some very complimentary things to say to drunk me, even if I don’t quite remember what they were – but they were . . appreciated._

Kagami groaned lowly, hangover headache now compounded by the fact that Tobirama could have meant ‘appreciated’ in the _I-like-that_ sense just as much as the _please-never-say-that-again-I-value-our-current-relationship-too-much-to-deal-with-your-foolishness_ sense.

He almost missed the days the Uchiha used to take battle-wives and battle-husbands by tying them up with red silk, because surely Tobirama had heard of that past tradition and would know what it meant without him having to _say_ the words _I love you_.

Because, fuck, one of them needed to make a move before Koharu took it out of his hands because she’d made her move and she would not let him continue like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #Partial Success


	6. Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is inspired by PandaFlower's Bind Me Tight, which is awesome.  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/14364861/chapters/33161058

Kagami had gone to find Tobirama, intent on just confessing once and for all, but before he could get the words out, the older man had been quick to ask if he wanted to spar together.

He’d accepted – of course, he accepted.

If he was politely refused, things would be awkward between them and he doubted Tobirama would be eager to spar with him any time soon afterwards.

If the _kokuhaku_ was _accepted_ , then Kagami had no idea what would happen.

Either way, he wanted to make the best sort of showing, wanted Tobirama to see how strong he was and appeal to the shinobi hind-brain that found deadly attractive.

Which was why he’d gone all out, using every trick he knew to try and get the upper hand.

And Tobirama had respected him enough to not hold back – though he at least hadn’t pulled out the unfair advantage of the fact that he’d had Tobirama’s teleportation seal tattooed on his back shortly after he’d come back _alive_ , and instead worked to put one on him in the midst of battle.

Kagami knew he was outmatched, but he put up a good fight, managed to land a few good hits – even scorched his top and pinkened the skin of one shoulder from the heat – before a kunai had been held to his throat.

“Yield?”

It was unfair how attractive Tobirama was: panting softly, sweat on his face, holding him down, straddling his waist with a kunai underneath his chin. He could go willingly to death like this.

“Y-yield.”

Tobirama didn’t immediately stand up though, giving that slow blink that meant he was thinking intently about something in the moment but was not ultra-focused (yet), before there was a glint in his eyes that Kagami desperately wanted to call _teasing_.

Slowly standing, hands feeling like they lingered a moment too long on his chest as he pushed up unnecessarily – Kagami knew the older man was quite capable of standing up without using his hands, he’d drooled over those leg muscles often enough – he casually stripped off his ruined shirt.

“Care to join me at the onsen?”

Like he would ever say no – it was the closest he could come to openly oogling, and Tobirama didn’t seem to have the slightest amount of concern about how he was never short of admirers.

Only, he choked on his own spit because he was almost within touch with a full-frontal view of the most glorious mass of muscles he’d ever seen, and it was too much for him to keep his composure.

He rapidly nodded even as he rushed to shed his outer shirt because there was _no way_ Tobirama wouldn’t cause some sort of traffic accident looking like did – and Hikaru would hunt him down for the express purpose of bitching at him about all the reports that he would have to review because of it, being head of the Military Police, and then that he would have to tell _Tobirama Senju_ to please not do that again.

Tobirama just looked amused as he accepted the shirt, pulling it on before Kagami remembered that on the back was the Uchiha kamon.

His mind went blank for a moment, crashing because _Tobirama_ was wearing _his_ shirt, was wearing _Uchiha colors – the Uchiha fan_.

Something in him immediately approved.

Something in him very much wanted Tobirama _only_ wearing his shirt.

His sharingan went active before the thought had even finish processing, wanting to record this moment to remember for all eternity.

It caught the look on Tobirama’s face – the older man looked pleased, a satisfied glint in his eyes.

Oh.

 _Oh_.

Kagami would feel like a massive idiot – later, much later – about how Tobirama had been trying to give him cues that _yes, he was interested_ but he’d missed them, mis-interrupted them for who knows how long, but then Tobirama was suddenly gone with a smirk on his lips, and _that_ was his cue to move, to _chase_.

Tobirama apparently _did_ know something of the Uchiha and their battle-wives and -husbands, and was Kagami ever so glad that a drunken him had found a red silk rope and put it in his weapons pouch.

Now he just had to _catch_ Tobirama.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #Unintentional Success


End file.
